


Mat

by EarlineNathaly



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-08-30 15:06:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8537755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EarlineNathaly/pseuds/EarlineNathaly
Summary: Summary: It came to my attention that Poppy seemed to know exactly where Branch’s bunker was, but the others probably didn’t. It was Poppy who led them to the bunker and Creek had to lure them out with Poppy’s cowbell. So, for this fic, have some tsundere, teenager Branch (and Poppy).





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic takes place some years BEFORE the movie, so they are teenagers here, because why not? Hope you enjoy!

Before he lost his colors, Branch really liked the rain. He liked to jump into the puddles while breaking into songs. Now, he realized rain just meant cold feet, frizzy hair full of static and _mud_.

 

And while other teenager trolls were acting still like children, rolling in the dirt, singing cheesy songs, and dancing their way to pneumonia, he was recollecting berries and leaves to make some warm tea. Thanks to his carefulness and foresight, he had enough dry wood in his bunker. A bunker that every day was closer and closer to what he had envisioned. Sure, he still had to build some other rooms to store more food and a gym would be nice, but he was certain he could make it.

 

He was heading back to his bunker and not very far when he heard his name being called by a very cheerful, very familiar voice.

 

“Branch!” Poppy’s voice rang in his ears. “Branch! Branch, where are you?! BRAAAAAAANCH!”

 

When her pink form finally came to his line of sight, he discovered she was not only wet but also muddy, and walking straight into a trap he had hidden between the heather.

 

“Poppy!” he shouted, and dropping the berries, he ran to her and tackled her out of the way. They rolled by the filthy felt just in time before the catastrophe could happen. The trap had activated, though. Branch sighed, knowing he would have to come back and fix it when the rain stopped. Poppy saw it and gulped, still pinned to the ground by the stronger teen.

 

He sat on the grass and realized that despite his effort to keep himself as clean as he could be in this weather, he was now dirty, and the worst part was that their hair was now electrified after the friction they got from the felt. He sighed. Poppy sat up too.

 

“How many times have I told you? If you are gonna keep coming back, you at least have to stay away from the traps! Is that so difficult to do?” He complained, going back to pick his berries.

 

Despite being a princess, Poppy didn’t bother to try to fix her hair or clothes. There was still a drizzle, anyways. So it probably wouldn’t even be of much use.

 

“Well, if you stopped being such a paranoid and didn’t put so many traps, I wouldn’t run into a new one every day!” She countered. “Besides– ” she flicked her bangs away from her face– “ the entrance to your bunker is so hard to find! You should put a welcoming mat or something so people could find the door easily.”

 

Branch looked at her like he couldn’t believe she was actually serious.

 

“I don’t want anyone to find the door, Poppy. That’s why it’s a secret bunker.”

 

Branch started to make his way to the rock where the door was, Poppy following him close behind.

 

“And where’s the fun in that?”

 

“The fun,” Branch said while activating the lever that would open the entrance, “is in the peace and quiet I get by being by myself.”

 

Despite his words, he let her in. Then, of course, Poppy started to shake off the mud.

 

“Wait!” he exclaimed, holding his hands up after putting the berries on the table, “Wait! Don’t make a mess. I’ll get you a towel, just don’t make a mess.”

 

Poppy rolled her eyes, but waited patiently – actually, with her arms crossed and toes tapping – for his return. When he finally reappeared, he handed her a towel and started to dry himself with another.

 

“What were you doing here, anyway? I’m sure not even you would throw a party with this weather,” he asked sitting on a stool.

 

Poppy blew a raspberry, drying herself as well.

 

“Not a party.” She explained, “but what could be better than singing in the rain with all your friends!”

 

“Staying dry,” he deadpanned.

 

Poppy sighed.

 

“You should stop taking the fun out of everything, Branch. Getting wet once in a while is not gonna get you eaten. I was hoping you would come and join us. But I guess it’s too late for that now.”

 

He was about to reply when a static shock ran through his fingers when he was trying to dry his hair. He yelped in surprise and Poppy giggled. Branch grunted.

 

“Your hair is all frizzy,” she pointed out.

 

“Well, yours is too.”

 

Poppy put the wet towel on a nearby chair and grabbed a comb from one of his shelves. She approached him almost shyly.

 

“May I?” she asked in a quiet voice.

 

Branch didn’t respond but instead averted his eyes modestly. Since he didn’t refuse, she took it as a sign to continue and started to work his hair to get rid of the mud and frizz slowly.

 

Poppy grew quiet as the minutes passed; only the soft brushing and the droplets hitting the outside could be heard in the distance. The dim lights of the candles made the atmosphere a little too private instead of cozy, and Branch couldn’t remember the last time he had had some quality time with another person.

 

Poppy’s fingers were gentle and she wasn’t even humming, probably because she didn’t want to ruin the mood. _His_ mood.

 

Touching and grooming a Troll’s hair was something borderline intimate that you didn’t just let anybody do. And perhaps it was because he was a teenager, but he felt his heart start to race. He had always known Poppy was pretty, and she always smelled so nice, like bubblegum and, well, poppies, and now she was so close, touching his hair so gently while being alone.

 

After what seemed like a lifetime, she finished.

 

“See?” Her voice was barely audible, “good as new.”

 

Branch looked back to see her and discovered her eyes almost foggy, her smile dreamy, and her lovely features dancing in the light of the candles.

 

Without a word, he took the comb and gestured for him to return the favor. Her smile tweaked at the corners and she gave the smallest of nods. She blindly reached for the other stool and sat down, facing him, which gave him a front view of her face when he started to work.

 

He combed gently and loved the feeling of his fingers going through her strands without restrictions. If he was honest with himself, he had to admit he had fantasized about doing so a couple of times. So, he seized this opportunity and caressed her pink locks until the skin of his hands forgot any other touch.

 

Poppy closed her eyes and Branch used the opportunity to admire her face without being creepy. Her glittery cheeks were a little pinker than usual, her thick eyelashes fluttering, and her breaths were coming in heavy puffs through slightly parted lips.

 

He kept combing even when her hair was already clean and almost completely dry, but she didn’t seem to notice nor mind. He then brushed her bangs away from her eyes with his hand and Poppy half opened them at the fondle touch.

 

She realized Branch breath tasted faintly like blueberries and something inside of her tingled in earnest to have a bite. If she just… leaned in a little…

 

Branch could count all the individual sparkles of the glitter freckles on Poppy’s face. They were really close. He hadn’t noticed just until then that unconsciously they had been leaning in towards each other. His heart was hammering in his chest and her breaths were teasing him with the taste of bubblegum on the tip of his tongue it was almost too much to bear.

 

Branch saw Poppy close her eyes and puck her lips ever so slightly, which ended his resolve. He tilted his head and using the hand he still had on her cheek, guided her face so their lips met in a soft, timid touch that stole their breath away when electricity passed through them.

 

Literally.

 

They both jumped when the static pinched their lips, sending them apart and breaking the spell. They were both breathing heavy.

 

Outside, the rain had stopped completely.

 

Branch cleared his throat before the silence grew longer and awkward.

 

“You” –his voice sounded hoarse– “You should probably go. Your friends would be looking for you.”

 

“Um, yeah. Probably.”

 

She headed for the door but before going out, she looked back at him.

 

“See you later, Branch.”

 

She ran all the way home and forgot to tell her friends she was back, her mind busy going one thousand miles per hour with what just happened. She let herself fall against her bed with her hands against her mouth. Her heart was still racing.

 

That had been her first kiss.

 

She giggled and felt like bursting into song. She breathed but before the words could come out, she stopped them.

 

No.

 

This was going to be her secret. Well, hers and Branch’s, she supposed. If she sang, everybody who heard her would know, and even if she didn’t have anything to hide, she wanted it to be special. A special memory, only theirs. So she bit back the lyrics and sang only in her heart.

 

She hugged her pillow and tried to muffle her humming until the excitement passed. And when it finally did, the next day, Poppy knew a new not so happy feeling: uncertainty.

 

What if Branch hadn’t felt the same way as she had? He was kinda grumpy, after all. But no, surely he had at least felt something, right? Something nice. He had to have. Yes, she was sure. And just to prove it to herself, she was going to go to him and confirm the statement. He had liked her kiss so much that from now on, she was welcomed into his house.

 

She was already deep into the forest when she remembered that she always got lost when she was about to arrive. She was about to curse her distraction when she saw it: before a big, familiar boulder, was a mat.

 

“GO AWAY”, it read. But Poppy smiled.

 

After that day, she never lost her way to him again.

 


	2. First Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: It’s raining and Bergen Town sure can get muddy. Poppy remembers her first kiss. This time the electricity doesn’t have anything to do with the static.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added an extra chapter because someone on tumblr mentioned it would be nice and I thought indeed it would. Hope you enjoy :)

“Paved paths!” Branch said, shoving the door open and entering the pod. “Paved pads are a priority starting tomorrow morning,” he declared.

 

Poppy, who was two steps behind, giggled at his annoyance, her feet muddy and her clothes drenched, pink hair dripping wet. She stepped inside and closed the door, but stayed right there, a puddle forming on the floor.

 

“Oh, no! The king is pissed,” she teased raising her voice so he could hear her when he disappeared inside their bedroom. “His rage won’t fade until he wins the war against mud with his paved paths”

 

She suppressed the impulse to wring her hair and instead waited patiently for her husband to come back. She was usually tidy herself, but Branch was even more so, and she knew he hated the mess two muddy trolls would make if she wandered around the house too.

 

“Laugh all you want, but someday someone is gonna slip and break their neck,” he said, finally crossing the door from their room and bringing a towel for her, his own around his neck. “And that’s why tomorrow we’re talking to Grizzle so we can pave all these muddy roads.”

 

Poppy rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. He wrapped the towel around her head and scrubbed her hair. She chuckled and then reached up to finish the job herself. Branch did the same, still complaining.

 

“Relax, Branch. Some dirt is not gonna kill anybody,” Poppy promised, and something in her words sparked the ghost of a memory.

 

When she finally came from under the towel, Branch was already heating something on the stove.

 

“Not on my watch, it won’t,” he swore.

 

Poppy laughed at his moodiness, wiping her feet. And to think he was actually having fun singing and dancing in the rain with everybody else until it stopped being rain and it became a storm. Even the Bergens who were with them had fled home.

 

“Alright, fine Mr. Cranky. We’ll see about blueprints tomorrow, but for now, I’m exhausted.”

 

Finally able to walk in her own house, Poppy went to drop the dirty towel in the basket for the laundry and returned to the kitchen. She sat on one of the chairs at the table and noticed his hair was messy after the scrubbing. Despite hers was too, she couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“Your hair is frizzy,” she said.

 

Branch turned towards her and put a steamy mug on her hands, which she gladly lifted to her lips. He smiled crookedly while sitting in front of her.

 

“Yours is too.”

 

Poppy tilted her head, and then she remembered. It was raining and they were muddy with messy hair when she gave and received her first kiss. Happiness danced across her eyes, prompting her to stand up with a small jump.

 

“Wait here,, ” she said putting her mug down, and then ran to their bedroom one more time. She returned with a brush. She sat again and scooped her chair closer.

 

“May I?” she asked, her voice quiet and excited at the same time.

 

Branch arched a brow. She didn’t really need permission to touch his hair.

 

“Sure?”

 

But after a few minutes of even strokes, he remembered too. They weren’t in a fortified security bunker, he wasn’t gray nor trying to deny his feelings for the troll in front of him and they certainly weren’t teenagers anymore, either, but her hands were still gentle and her smell still intoxicating.

 

They kept quiet for all the minutes she worked and exchanged gentle smiles when the brush changed hands. Poppy let her eyes close when he caressed her pink strands with tender fingers, feeling the warmth of the drink, the kitchen and _him_ calm her.

 

When she heard him leave the brush on the table and felt him cup her face in his hands, she opened her eyes, her smile growing a bit.

 

“Wanna give it another try?” she whispered so quietly his ears twitched to hear her.

 

He smiled too and stroked her cheek with his thumb before leaning in and meeting her halfway. This time, when their lips touched the electricity that went through them was only figurative.

 

They moved slow and without a rush, savoring the moment. It had all the tenderness you can expect from a kiss that has all the time in the world to be enjoyed and was as nice as recognition could be, because they had each other memorized by heart, and yet…

 

And yet they never got tired of the same dance. Sometimes it was playful and sometimes even frantic, but other times, like this one, was slow and deliberate. This time had a purpose and a meaning, and it was special.

 

After a few minutes of gentle caresses, kind kisses, and soft sighs, they finally parted with tingly lips and uneven heartbeats, but chests full of warmth and smiles on their eyes.

 

“I always wondered,” Poppy started after a moment, “how much more I’d have enjoyed it that time if the static hadn’t interrupted”

 

Branch’s eyebrows twitched in confusion for a second.

 

“I always thought it was an ‘in the heat of the moment’ thing,” he admitted. “I didn’t actually think you enjoyed it.”

 

Poppy straightened her back, almost offended on his behalf.

 

“Of course I did,” she said. “It was my first kiss. And perhaps it was in the heat of the moment but I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

 

Branch chuckled at her defensiveness, but a weight lifted from his shoulders nonetheless.

 

“Not even for one with your current crush back then?” he teased.

 

Poppy grabbed her mug and sipped it after processing his question. It was almost more cold than warm now, and she took a big gulp hiding her amusement, a little embarrassed of her silliness of both their naïveness all those years ago.

 

“And how do you know you weren’t my current crush back then?” she asked, pretending nonchalance.

 

Branch stopped with his mug halfway to his mouth.

 

“What?” he asked, surprised. “Seriously?”

 

She giggled, entertained with his incredulity.

 

“I always thought you knew!” she blurted out, surprised. “You were always so observant and paranoid. I was completely positive you knew and that was why you never went to my parties. To not give me hope.”

 

Branch stared at her like she had grown a second head.

 

“What? No!” he almost screeched. “I didn’t! I had no idea, and most importantly why?”

 

“What do you mean ‘why?’” Poppy questioned back.

 

“H-how was it possible you had a crush on me? Back then you were like fourteen with half the teenage population chasing your charms and I was really mean!”

 

Poppy could only laugh at the hilarity of the situation.

 

“I don’t know! You were mysterious and so composed and, I don’t know, older!” she gesticulated vaguely with both hands, her cheeks blushed magenta. “You knew a lot of things, could do a lot of stuff and were… _are!_ So badass that I just… I just really liked you. You were harsh, yeah, but you gave me cold drinks in the summer and warm teas in the winter when I went to visit, a-and I really liked the way you relaxed when I hugged you and nobody was around, and then! And then you even put that ridiculous mat so I wouldn’t get lost anymore after that kiss” she paused when the bubbling chuckles didn’t subside.

 

Branch was left speechless for a few moments. He finally puffed out a snort and sank in his chair, averting his eyes from her, deep in thought.

 

“Unbelievable, ” he said, shaking his head vigorously as if his mind couldn’t come to terms with the fact that she liked him when they were younger. He took a long sip from his mug.

 

“And you?” Poppy threw the question back at him, “Were you part of the half teenage population that chased my charms?”

 

“I-… Wh-… Do-… Well, yeah!” He stuttered, flustered. “I was.” Because seriously, she was the only reason he rolled out of bed sometimes and she knew it, so denying his silly crush now would be ludicrous.

 

Despite everything, especially the ring on her finger, Poppy still felt her heart do a cartwheel. She smiled showing all her teeth, suddenly fourteen again.

 

“Why?” she asked vulnerably.

 

Branch took a deep breath. It was fair that he answered her question the same way she did his.

 

“Because you cared.” His voice was soft. “You still do.”

 

“So you still have a crush on me?” she asked, faking hope and leaning towards him with big eyes.

 

He sighed shaking his head.

 

“I _love_ you, Poppy.”

 

She adored hearing it from him.

 

“I love you too” she smiled, reaching for his hand. “And everything turned out good at the end. We’re married,” she pointed out cheerily. “And you are a very good king too,” she starting laughing again. “Protecting everyone’s neck from slippery roads.”

 

He rolled his eyes, but his lips were curling upwards.

 

“I’m starting to regret this marriage.”

 

“But why?” Poppy fake-whined, “I was your first kiss, we’re meant to be!” She made a pause, a thought interrupting her charade. “Wait, I was your first kiss, right?”

 

He chuckled and using the hand she still held in hers, tugged her closer.

 

“And the last,” he declared before kissing her again.


End file.
